Monday 28th August 2023
A few years back before the dreaded L season of being stuck in our homes, I had an idea to meet my Facebook friends- the new ones, never met in person ones but the ones I've had nice exchanges with. I'm pleased to say that I've done quite a bit if that. Plus meeting up with people from my childhood. I love it. I love the feeling of connection but sometimes meeting in real life makes it feel better.
Today I met up with a second cousin. Early in June, when summer was scorching the Scottish landscape we came walking through Irvine. Unbeknown to me, our granny's brother's grandchildren live here. I got a message that we had almost walked past her house.
Today I hopped on a train and came adventuring, in true last minute style. I walked through the old town with the castle ruins and cobblestone lanes. The building where Scottish poet Rabbie Burns spent a year trying to learn flax dressing- in order to create spun into cloth. Fortunately he hated it and turned back to his poetry. But the buildings where this happened have been preserved. They were very nearly demolished in the seventies but saved at the last minute.
I walked down the Glasgow Vennel which was the main road from the Irvine harbour. I love seeing the old homes so lovingly restored and well kept. There was a cemetery at the end of the lane but I didn't wander through it too much as I was more interested in the old well next to the river. Unfortunately it looks a bit neglected and unkempt. But I read up on it being an important source of fresh water for the Saint of the day ( AD 839)
My mind boggles that there's evidence of humans from so long ago in plain sight. I love seeing the contrasts of building styles from the old stone to the metal and glass of today. It's intriguing to think about what is going to survive that long from this day and age. Probably not much, haha. I'm not going to last much longer tonight either.
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